Testimonials

Testimonials

Words from some of the people we have helped

“PND Canterbury has offered me the ongoing support I needed after suffering extreme PND requiring several months in the Mothers and Babies Unit. After being discharged I was worried I would have nowhere to turn and Sonya welcomed me with open arms, a listening ear, and a genuine love. Meeting the other Mums has been amazing as I believe it’s helped us all with our journey and we have become friends. Without the support of Mothers and Babies and PND Canterbury, I would not be here today. PND is real and crippling. PND Canterbury are a vital service needed by many, and they are passionate about what they do. Thanks PND Canterbury for everything you have done and are still doing.”

Suzy

“With a history of depression I had worked hard to prepare myself for becoming a mother and for several months I was fine. So it was a shock when I realised around my daughter’s first birthday that I wasn’t doing so well. Finding Sonya and the others at PND Canterbury has made me realise I’m not a bad mother for not being on top of my game. I felt so welcomed and look forward to playgroup and support group every week. No judgements and I can be honest about how things are going. My wee girl adores the volunteers and I love getting a chance to watch her interact with them, it makes me happy to be her Mum. I’m getting a better grip on motherhood and feeling more confident about making decisions that put me first. The laughs we have together are a great stress buster too!”

Erin

“I’d just like to thank you for the support given to PND Canterbury. I started attending the group in 2014 after struggling with PND for months. It was a warm, supportive environment that taught me ways to help cope with stress and gave me a place with people who I could share with who understood my journey. The volunteers gave me a break which was such a blessing. They took amazing care of my 2 kids. I have recently moved on from support group with great tools for coping with the down days and some amazing friendships. Thank you for helping Sonya and the team continue to help mothers with PND”

Jenny

“I am a 32yr old wife and mother with two beautiful children, a 2.5yr old daughter and a 9mth old son. I have a lot of family and friends close by for support, but nothing they said or did could have helped me through my journey with PND as much as Sonya and the weekly support group. By an amazing miracle I found Sonya when I was at my lowest, and she grabbed my hand and helped lead me back out of the dark place. Sonya’s amazing personal experience through her own story, and the amazing volunteers she has collected who have a beautiful understanding of this crazy mental illness, are so invaluable to me, and so many other mums here in Christchurch!

The last 9mths have been some amazing highs and horrific lows, but I am truly grateful to all of the Foundations, Trusts and Businesses who have donated money so this group can run. You will never know how much your contribution has helped me get to the place I am today.

Thank you from me, and the mums in the future who will use this support too!”

Jessie

“I have dealt with mental health problems for my whole life and in the last few years I had managed to finally get these erratic problems under control. When I had my first child, a little over a year ago, I noticed a recurrence of a lot of my problems. My child is the picture of good health and maintains an excellent disposition (as far as children go). I felt like all my emotions and distance from him were due to myself and my inability to be a good mother, like I was failing at a job that, as a woman, I was born to do. Unfortunately for myself I was let down by other support networks for women dealing with Postnatal depression. On a particularly bad evening my husband encouraged me to make contact with Sonya whom I had become aware of a few months prior. Postnatal depression, as with every other mental health issue, is not an easy fix situation and for me going to groups is only a part of the solution These groups have however shown me that I am not alone and that there are more people than I could have realised that are willing to share their time and experiences to help me and others crawl our way out of our despair.”